I’ve loved the excessive gore of Mortal Kombat ever since discovering the franchise in my mid-teens. Every new instalment arrives with a bunch of fresh fatalities and brutalities, ready to make me laugh and cringe in equal measure at the mess of blood and guts left on the screen. I, along with many players, get a big kick out of all the different over-the-top ways to batter and finish your opponent. It’s a massive reason for the popularity of the series, with it infamously being responsible for the moral panic that resulted in the creation of the American ratings board, ESRB, in 1994.
I recently watched a video of Mortal Kombat creator BruskPoet reacting to a video made by another creator, UnderTheMayo, on the topic of the forthcoming Mortal Kombat 1 potentially having an option to dial down the graphic content in the game. These videos provide great insight into how Mortal Kombat’s violent tendencies are still causing issues for the game, roughly 30 years after the United States Senate Hearings. Both videos are linked below, and I’d recommend watching them!
I’m approaching this from the perspective of a previously casual Mortal Kombat fan (who, funnily enough, only enjoyed watching the fatalities on YouTube!) who has become more invested in the series and its community leading up to the release of Mortal Kombat 1. This debate has become contentious online because it is important to Mortal Kombat fans. As a result, some people may not agree with me, and that’s okay! I simply find this topic interesting and believe that NetherRealm should analyse it closely so the developer can reach the correct conclusion.
The primary reason for pushing for a feature that censors some of the violence in Mortal Kombat 1 is that two segments of the Mortal Kombat community suffer without it: the Competitive scene and the Content Creation scene. Mortal Kombat isn’t quite as prominent as its fighting game counterparts when it comes to competitive play. NetherRealm owner Warner Bros invests some money to fund competitions, but this funding often only lasts for a year, if players are lucky. After that, the financial support for the competitive scene primarily relies on sponsorships and tournaments. Tournament runners need to be cautious, as sponsors prefer to associate with squeaky-clean brands. Including Mortal Kombat, especially when it’s being streamed on YouTube, can be a risky proposition for some tournament runners.
This issue overlaps with the challenge that many content creators face when making Mortal Kombat content. It is more difficult to create content about Mortal Kombat than other fighting games due to the series’ violence, with many creators struggling to cover the game without their content being age restricted and / or demonetised. This can sometimes make for enjoyable content in its own right, as it’s always interesting to see how some creators work around fatal blows and fatalities in their trailer reveal reactions.
There is certainly the question of whether or not video game violence should need to be censored in the first place. Almost all of Mortal Kombat’s gore is designed to be clearly over-the-top and done in jest. The context of the gameplay is also important. Scorpion cutting Sub-Zero in half isn’t a harrowing torture scene in a narratively driven action adventure game that is meant to make the viewer feel miserable; it’s the climax of a fight between two colourful ninjas with mythical powers. Unfortunately I don’t think any of us are going to be able to change Google’s mind on that one, which is why other avenues must be explored.
Recently Mortal Kombat series co-creator Ed Boon said:
I will not unequivocally say that “ok, this is a deal-breaker – we will never do it.” I’m always trying to think what we can do to keep the spirit of what the game is, but at the same time I’d like to let the streamers because I am well aware that they are currently limited. This is a dilemma.
–Ed Boon
It’s promising that NetherRealm is aware of the issue while also making it clear that it is committed to preserving the spirit of Mortal Kombat. I’m hesitant to suggest what would actually be involved in a potential mode since I’m not a developer, and only NetherRealm really knows how simple or difficult it would be to ‘just’ implement a certain feature. However, an option to change the colour of blood is a suggestion I’ve seen frequently, and it may be a good answer. Many creators used D’vorah in MK11 as a workaround due to her blue blood, and PC mods for MKX and MK11 that alter blood are quite popular amongst PC players. An option similar to Mortal Kombat 2011’s ‘No Blood’ Kombat Kode would also be a good way to address this issue. When this code was active, blood was turned off, and finishers were disabled.
Much like the majority of players disregard ‘Streamer Modes’ in games that have licensed music in their soundtracks, players would ignore the option and experience the developer’s original vision of the game. No one would be forcing the player to use these settings. I’m not planning to stream MK1, and I’m certainly not skilled enough to compete at EVO2024, so I would ignore the setting and enjoy the gore the way NetherRealm intended.
I strongly agree with BruskPoet on one of his main points: that the messaging needs to change regarding this whole issue. Shifting the terminology from a ‘No Blood’ mode to a ‘Kompetitive Mode’ or ‘Kreator Mode’ would likely result in more people accepting the idea, even though it would lead to the exact same outcome. The phrase ‘No Blood’ can trigger concerns among many MK fans, and even though there’s no need for worry, it’s easier to avoid the entire debate about “sanitising the game” that often arises when discussing ‘removing blood’ from Mortal Kombat. Instead, we can discuss ways that NetherRealm can help community members play Mortal Kombat without issues from those who do not permit graphic violence, such as Google and potential major tournament sponsors.
If the calls actually were for the complete reduction in violence and outright removal of blood, the resistance to the idea of a Kreator Mode would be more understandable – and something I would also be against as violence IS Mortal Kombat – but having the option to filter graphic elements for competitive play and content creation would greatly benefit those communities – no matter how niche they may be in the grand scheme of things. I can’t help but feel some fans aren’t seeing the forest for the trees on this topic, as the more successful Mortal Kombat is, the more Warner Bros will look to invest in the series.
This obviously doesn’t mean the franchise should ‘sell out,’ but it can certainly aim to appease community members beyond the hardcore fans and casual players who are primarily interested in the violence. Not to mention, have you seen some of the final blows and fatalities already revealed for MK1? I’m still squirming from watching Sindel’s reveal! If there were any real plans to sanitise or water down MK, I don’t think Warner Bros or NetherRealm would a) approve them at the concept stage or b) include them in MK1’s marketing material.
All that being said, UnderTheMayo makes a good point that if a Kreator Mode were implemented, the competitive community should continue to approach potential tournaments and sponsors with Mortal Kombat’s default settings as the primary way to play, and only offer the censored mode if an agreement cannot be reached regarding the game’s violent content. This would make Kreator Mode more of a safety net than a necessity.
BruskPoet, who is more in tune with how the community operates during the lifecycle of a Mortal Kombat game than I am, admits that Mortal Kombat 1 not having a Kreator Mode at launch wouldn’t be the end of the world. The game will still receive good competitive coverage for the first year, and creators will have plenty of opportunities to produce content that adheres to YouTube’s guidelines. The second year of the game is when such a mode is needed the most, as Warner Bros’ funding for the competitive scene dries up, and players need to rely more on sponsors and other forms of income. This is when content creators are at their most vulnerable, as they need to get creative with their content and think outside the box due to fewer game updates compared to ‘Year One’.
If an update similar to Mortal Kombat 11’s ‘Aftermath’ arrives in 2024 for Mortal Kombat 1, with new story, characters, fatalities, stages, and other goodies, it may be the perfect time to add in a ‘Kreator Mode’, as it would potentially result in all corners of the MK community being given what they want at the same time. It also would give NetherRealm time to develop a robust plan to help creators and competitive players, rather than throwing something together last minute to try and please a certain part of the community, only to mess it up and end up with multiple sections of the community disappointed.
At the end of the day, Mortal Kombat is always going to be ultra-violent, and that’s a good thing. The last thing I want to promote is a movement to permanently reduce violence in Mortal Kombat, of all games. However, there is definitely room to grow the franchise in competitive and content spaces in a way that doesn’t compromise the core identity of Mortal Kombat, but allows the game to reach more people. Let’s hope NetherRealm can find the answer.
Whatever happens, I’ll continue to witness bones cracking, organs popping, and blood flowing, with a grin on my face that only Mortal Kombat can provide.